27533: Hermantin(News)Confusion mars early hours of voting in Haitian elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>



Posted on Tue, Feb. 07, 2006



Confusion mars early hours of voting in Haitian elections

By JOE MOZINGO
jmozingo@miamiherald.com

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Confusion and frustration mounted during the first hours of 
Haiti's national election today as masses of voters set out before dawn to cast 
their ballots but found many polling places disorganized and unable to open on 
time.

Haitian electoral officials and U.N. advisors said they were scrambling to fix 
the problems but described them as isolated. ''We are in control of the 
situation,'' electoral council spokesman Stephen Lecroix told a news 
conference.

But at one of three polling centers that serves the volatile slum of Cité 
Soleil -- a place where electoral officials and U.N advisors have repeatedly 
assured wary voters and observers that they were prepared -- supervisors were 
woefully unprepared.

By 6 A.M. when the center was supposed to open, an estimated 3,000 people had 
lined up. They continued to arrive by the hundreds, marching excitedly and 
jogging. An hour later there were at least 5,000 lined up a half-mile back.

Most said said they were there to vote for Réne Préval, a former president and 
one-time protege of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Préval has become 
a symbol of hope in the bullet-pocked slums where Aristide once had strong 
support.

The election is the first since Aristide fled the country in the face of an 
armed rebellion in 2004. Haitians and foreign observers alike are hoping it 
will deliver the country from the ensuing two years of bloodshed and 
instability.

But inside the polling station, the manager said he didn't have enough tables 
to start the voting. Outside, people began to push forward, wondering if it 
would open.

By 7:30 A.M., a group of unknown agitators began to whip the crowd into a fury, 
saying the government was trying to prevent the poor from voting.

''They don't want you to vote! They don't want you to vote!'' one shouted.

The front of the line turned into a mass at the metal gate of the voting 
center, slamming it and demanding to get in. When the gate was opened to let a 
car in, the group stampeded inside, trampling at least two women and creating 
pandemonium.

The orderly line fell apart as voters could see the chaos ahead of them. Some 
of the crowd launched a protest, running up the main boulevard and chasing away 
police and three jeeps of U.N. peacekeepers.

''This is a make-believe election,'' said Robert Bonnet, 36. ``This is 
organized for the bourgeoisie to vote. This is not an election for the people 
to vote.''

As protesters reached the headquarters of the Haitian electoral council the top 
U.S. diplomat in Haiti, Charge d'Affairs Tim Carney, stopped by.

Carney said the confusion was isolated to parts of the capital.




By JOE MOZINGO
jmozingo@miamiherald.com

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Confusion and frustration mounted during the first hours of 
Haiti's national election today as masses of voters set out before dawn to cast 
their ballots but found many polling places disorganized and unable to open on 
time.

Haitian electoral officials and U.N. advisors said they were scrambling to fix 
the problems but described them as isolated. ''We are in control of the 
situation,'' electoral council spokesman Stephen Lecroix told a news 
conference.

But at one of three polling centers that serves the volatile slum of Cité 
Soleil -- a place where electoral officials and U.N advisors have repeatedly 
assured wary voters and observers that they were prepared -- supervisors were 
woefully unprepared.

By 6 A.M. when the center was supposed to open, an estimated 3,000 people had 
lined up. They continued to arrive by the hundreds, marching excitedly and 
jogging. An hour later there were at least 5,000 lined up a half-mile back.

Most said said they were there to vote for Réne Préval, a former president and 
one-time protege of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Préval has become 
a symbol of hope in the bullet-pocked slums where Aristide once had strong 
support.

The election is the first since Aristide fled the country in the face of an 
armed rebellion in 2004. Haitians and foreign observers alike are hoping it 
will deliver the country from the ensuing two years of bloodshed and 
instability.

But inside the polling station, the manager said he didn't have enough tables 
to start the voting. Outside, people began to push forward, wondering if it 
would open.

By 7:30 A.M., a group of unknown agitators began to whip the crowd into a fury, 
saying the government was trying to prevent the poor from voting.

''They don't want you to vote! They don't want you to vote!'' one shouted.

The front of the line turned into a mass at the metal gate of the voting 
center, slamming it and demanding to get in. When the gate was opened to let a 
car in, the group stampeded inside, trampling at least two women and creating 
pandemonium.

The orderly line fell apart as voters could see the chaos ahead of them. Some 
of the crowd launched a protest, running up the main boulevard and chasing away 
police and three jeeps of U.N. peacekeepers.

''This is a make-believe election,'' said Robert Bonnet, 36. ``This is 
organized for the bourgeoisie to vote. This is not an election for the people 
to vote.''

As protesters reached the headquarters of the Haitian electoral council the top 
U.S. diplomat in Haiti, Charge d'Affairs Tim Carney, stopped by.

Carney said the confusion was isolated to parts of the capital.